POST NEWS NETWORK
Keonjhar: Two passengers were killed and over 20 injured when a bus overturned at Kuajharan ghat from Brahmanipal-Naranpur road under Harichandanpur police limits in Keonjhar district late Friday night. The condition of four injured passengers is stated to be critical while the others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Reports said ‘Sultan’ bus bearing registration number OD04-8686 was going from Barbil to Jajpur. At about 1.30 am, the bus driver lost control over the vehicle and the bus careened off the road and rolled down the ghat at Kuajharan.
Sources said the driver was driving rashly. Some passengers wanted to alight at a particular spot when the bus driver applied the brakes in a careless manner, resulting in the bus tipping over. Passengers said the bus rolled down the steep terrain for about 100 ft before coming to a halt.
As it was pitch dark, other vehicles passing along the route had no inkling of the accident for several hours. Some injured passengers finally managed to scale the steep terrain to reach the road and hailed down a passing motorist who then called the Pandathana police.
By the time the police arrived, two persons had already died. One of the deceased was identified as Prashant Mishra (30) of Rahama Mangalpur in Jajpur district.
Pandathana police rushed to the spot and sought the help of Harichandanpur police. Locals rescued the injured passengers and sent them to various hospitals.
The injured were admitted to Harichandanpur hospital and the district headquarters hospital while four of them who were critically wounded were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Police registered a case in this regard and seized the vehicle. Post-mortem of the deceased was conducted at the district headquarters hospital.
